(Posted March 15, 2011)

HUNTINGDON, Pa. -- Juniata College baseball took a split out of its home debut doubleheader against the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg, dropping game one, 7-0, but rebounding to take the nightcap, 8-7, on Tuesday afternoon at Langdon-Goodale Field.

After Pitt-Greensburg (3-7) took a 5-1 lead in game two, Juniata rallied with four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning on a bases loaded single by Bradley Medellin (Lewisberry, Pa./Red Land) and a walk issued to Andrew Hirsch (Annandale, Va./Falls Church).

Dan Fenton (Johnstown, Pa./Richland) laced a two-run single into right center field later in the frame, plating Medellin and Thomas Eck (Columbia, Pa./Lancaster Catholic) to tie the game at 5-5.

Juniata (6-4) grabbed a 7-5 lead in the fifth on Dan Gray's (Johnstown, Pa./Richland) two-run single to left center, but Pitt-Greensburg scored twice in the top of the sixth to knot the game at 7-7. The Bobcats' Steve Zerbini singled to center for one run, while Roy Duttine's sacrifice fly to left field plated the game-tying run.

The Eagles scored the game-winner in the bottom of the sixth when Hirsch drew a walk to leadoff the inning, and pinch runner Kevin Campbell (Germantown, Md./Poolesville) scored on Chase Dykstra's (Somerset, Pa./Somerset Area) double to center field.

Eck finished with a 3-for-3 effort at the plate, while Dan Gray had a pair of hits and two runs batted in. Reliever Ben Sealy (Seneca Falls, N.Y./Mynderse Academy) came on with one out in the sixth inning, and finished out the game to collect the win. Sealy logged a pair of strikeouts with one walk in one-and-two-thirds innings of no-hit relief pitching.

Pitt-Greensburg reliever Donnie Sippel, who entered the game in the Juniata fifth, was charged with the loss.

In game one, Juniata was held to three hits as Pitt-Greensburg pitcher Matt Roach fanned three and walked two in the complete game shutout win.

The Bobcats scored six runs in the third inning on six hits, with Jon Salmon plating two runs on a single to center field. Pitt-Greensburg tacked on an insurance run in the fourth with Garrett Herald's RBI single to left field.

Juniata starter Will Hoffman (Phoenix, Md./Dulaney) allowed all six runs on seven hits with two strikeouts in the loss.

The Eagles return to action on Saturay, March 19, when they travel to Bethlehem, Pa., to open Landmark Conference play against Moravian College. Saturday's doubleheader against the Greyhounds will begin at 1:00 p.m., while Sunday's single nine-inning game starts at 12:00 p.m.

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Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.